Biological control is an ecologically based pest management strategy that provides long-term management of pest problems with minimum impact on human health, the environment, and non-target organisms. Biocontrol programs are educationally based and focus on our knowledge of pest biology and its relationship within the environment. It usually incorporates the use of living organisms, such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens, to control pests.

The Alabama Fire Ant Management Program research provides insight into the growth, development, and spread of the fire ant. Unfortunately, the biology of the fire ant does not allow development of an eradication program. However, with information gained through research we can develop strategies to reduce populations of fire ants and to maintain these populations at an acceptable level. 

Since our first release of the phorid fly or decapitating fly, a natural enemy of the red imported fire ant in South America, in 1999, three species of phorid flies have been released in 14 Alabama Counties. These flies have established and spread over 35,000 square miles of Alabama.

The phorid fly will deposit a single egg into the body of the worker fire ant (Fig 1). The larva will hatch and make its way into the head cavity. The larva will consume the contents of the fire ant's head resulting in decapitation (Fig 2). The larva will molt into a pupa before emerging from the decapitated head as an adult phorid fly (Fig 3). Development time is temperature dependent but ranges anywhere from 5-12 weeks. Soon after emergence, the phorid fly is ready to mate and will live approximately 1-3 days in the field. During this time a single female can deposit up to 300 eggs.

Figure 1. Phorid Fly Attack. Picture by Scott Baue.	Figure 2.  Decapitated Fire Ant.  Picture by Sanford Porter.	Figure 3.  Phorid fly emergence.  Picture by S. Porter.